


Rock & Roll May Not Pay the Bills, but Ska Will Put Your Ass in Debt

by vulpixel



Series: Ska Wars [1]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Battle of the Bands, F/F, Golden Deer Shenanigans, Plot with a little porn, Semi-Public Sex, Trans Female Character, its marianne shes trans but also like .... everyone else, sorry - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-18
Updated: 2021-01-18
Packaged: 2021-03-16 20:47:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,889
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28837284
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vulpixel/pseuds/vulpixel
Summary: The Golden Deer are in need of a new band member with Ska Wars approaching. Hilda volunteers her best friend and (maybe) crush Marianne for the job. The stakes are high and the band members are even higher. What will happen next? Who know! I don't!A marihilda for marihilda nsfw week 2020 B)
Relationships: Marianne von Edmund/Hilda Valentine Goneril
Series: Ska Wars [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2114553
Comments: 2
Kudos: 31
Collections: Marihilda NSFW Week!





	Rock & Roll May Not Pay the Bills, but Ska Will Put Your Ass in Debt

**Author's Note:**

  * For [brooklynapple](https://archiveofourown.org/users/brooklynapple/gifts).



> [here](https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLd7x5xuoQ2_KHxhCTVk1JqcwTxnSGKioI) is a link to the playlist of songs i used as inspo as well as stole lyrics from  
> without further ado, please enjoy!

Hilda lies on the couch holding her hands straight in the air as her pastel blue nail polish dries. Marianne sits next to her, molding around the other woman’s legs and staring at her own freshly painted nails. Hilda insisted on pink, so she chose pink. To be fair, the colors complement each other really well, and she has to admit, she likes matching with her best friend. The stereo plays in the background. The semi-ska stylings of No Doubt grace their ears.

_Get on the ball  
If you love your lover  
No gesture too small  
Tear down the walls if you love her  
Just give it your all  
Ooh yeah, you've got to tell her she's the only one  
Show her, make sure she'll never feel abandoned_

“I love Gwen Stefani,” Hilda says, breaking the comfortable silence between them.

Marianne knows this; it’s all Hilda ever talks about when they hang out. The woman doesn’t mind. She enjoys Hilda’s passions and prefers the company to being alone.

“Me too,” she agrees.

“It would be wild if she ever broke off with No Doubt and went to do a solo career. I think she could do it. She has such a stage presence and such a unique voice.”

“How can you do ska as just one person?”

“Well, she’ll probably do pop or something. No Doubt is barely ska to begin with. I just like how they sound,” Hilda explains.

“I could see her doing pop.”

“Yeah. I’d be her number one fan.”

With that, they go back into their comfortable silence. Hilda sings along to every word. She has been a diehard fan of the group since day one and wants everyone to know it. The two sit on the couch in Hilda’s basement. It’s her parents’ house, and quite a nice one at that. They finished the basement a few years ago to give Hilda and her brother a space to play their music away from their parents’ sensitive ears. To be fair, it’s their fault for having a bad taste. Anyone should be blessed to have Gwen Stefani grace their ears.

“I really enjoy spending time with you,” Hilda says suddenly.

“I enjoy your company as well,” her friend answers. She continues to stare down at her nails. “There’s something I want to tell you, actually…”

“What is it?”

Before Marianne can answer, the door bursts open. Khalid stands in the doorway, looking panicked. “Hilda! It’s an emergency! Also, hello Marianne. Pink is a good color on you.”

Marianne blushes softly. “Thank you.”

Hilda sits up a bit too fast, making her tumble off the couch. She smacks into the coffee table, and the magazines fly off it. In a matter of seconds, the room has descended into chaos of fluttering papers and flying nail polish bottles. Hilda brushes off the latest copy of _Vogue_ and sits up.

“What’s up, Khalid?” She says calmly.

“Ignatz quit,” Khalid answers.

Hilda gasps, but her shock lasts only briefly, “Not Ignatz!” She pauses a moment. “What did he play again?”

“The keyboard.”

“Oh. The keyboard,” she answers in a way that suggests she doesn’t actually know what a keyboard is. “That’s fine. If he played the drums, we’d really be screwed.”

Khalid frowns. “Hilda-”

“Right, right. He’s a friend. We care about him. Why did he quit?”

“He got accepted into Harvard.”

“Harvard? What a nerd,” she snorts, “Actually, that’s very impressive. Good for him.”

“Yeah, I’m happy for him too, but we’re down a keyboardist, and Ska Wars is in two weeks,” Khalid says.

“Shit! Where are we gonna find a new member?”

He shrugs. “We could put out an ad? Maybe scout out the dive bar?”

“We can’t vulture someone else’s keyboardist.”

“You’re right.” He paces the floor, scratching his scruffy chin in thought. “We need someone fresh. Someone who will really take our sound and blow it out of the park. And more importantly, we need that person today.”

Then, the idea hits her. Hilda looks to Marianne who looks back at her with utter horror. “Hey, Mari, didn’t you take piano lessons in high school?”

“Uh, yes. I’m not very good, though,” Marianne replies nervously. She is not ready for where this is going.

“Oh, nonsense. You know how to play chord progressions. You’ll be fine. Besides, I’m the lead singer. All eyes will be on me. You’ll have nothing to worry about.” Hilda comforts her, awkwardly putting her arm around her friend’s shoulders in a way that won’t mess up her drying nails.

“I still don’t think I’ll be of any value to you.”

“We would love to have you in the band,” Khalid adds, his words genuine, “Hell, even if you didn’t want to join us on stage, I’d still want you to come along for the company.”

At that, Marianne smiles. “I’ll think about it.”

“How about you come to our practice tonight and try it out? If you don’t like it, then you don’t have to stick with us.”

“That would work.”

Hilda beams at her. “I can’t wait to see you there!”

\----

A loud commotion comes from the garage as Marianne pulls into the driveway. The neighbors must hate them. Marianne walks up to the front door and rings the doorbell. Hilda’s mother answers the door, her hair the same bright pink as her daughter.

“Marianne! Hilda told me you would be coming. They’re in the garage. If you couldn’t tell,” the woman says, stepping aside to welcome Marianne inside.

“Thank you, Mrs. Goneril.” Marianne steps inside. She makes her way to the garage. The noises only get louder.

They barely notice Marianne walk in. The loud noise drowns out the sound of her footsteps, and everyone is too absorbed in the music to notice. Hilda belts out the lyrics. Raphael picks up the beat. Khalid strums his guitar heavy on the upbeat. Holst stands next to him wailing on the bari sax. The trombone comes in hot. Leonie moves her arm frantically as she plays a fast counter melody to Hilda’s luscious words. Lorenz harmonizes with the smooth baritone sounds on his trumpet. He gently bobs alone to the beat, foot tapping at a fast pace with the music. Next to him is Lysithea, a woman who corners the market on wearing black. She cooly strums on her bass. She seems less enthusiastic than the rest, but her bass speaks proverbs nonetheless. Her fingers move in a blur on the strings. Khalid leans into the mix to belt out the chorus with Hilda. Their voices mix like maple syrup poured onto pancakes from the high heavens. Marianne finds herself obsessed. She wasn’t expecting them to sound so _good_. She stares in awe at the band.

“Mari!” Comes Hilda’s voice.

Suddenly, the song halts. There’s a scratch of feedback from the guitar amp. Raphael puts a hand on the cymbals to quiet them down. He seems more confused than anything. Leonie lowers her trombone to see what is the problem. Lorenz continues to play a few measures more until Leonie punches him in the side. Suddenly, all eyes are on Marianne. The woman panics.

Hilda runs over to her friend and wraps her in a tight hug. “I knew you would come!”

“I’m here,” Marianne says quietly. She awkwardly hugs Hilda back. Her worries wither away at her friend’s touch.

“Did you come to play with us?”

Marianne completely forgot why she came in the first place. “Oh, um, yes.”

“Awesome! We have a keyboard right over there for ya.”

She approaches the keyboard. It’s a decent size with plenty of knobs and a fine red polish. She lays her hand on the keys, playing a simple chord. A beautiful harmony sprouts from the instrument.

“Yes. Just like that,” Hilda encourages her, “But like, more. And with the song.”

“I can do that,” Marianne says.

“Should we start from the top?” Khalid suggests.

“Let’s do that. Raph, count us off!”

“Why do I never get to count us off?” Lorenz interjects.

“Because you play trumpet,” Hilda answers abruptly.

Raphael clacks his sticks together, counting off quickly. “One, two, three, four!”

Music erupts once more. The drums come in booming. The horn section harmonizes perfectly. Hilda belts into the microphone. Marianne has no idea what to do. She’s a pianist not a jazz improviser. The song carries on regardless. It pulls her along.

_You're my best friend  
But I wanna be more than this  
You know I'd do anything for your kiss  
But I'm stuck in a position, the worst condition  
My current situation with you  
End up on the wrong side of the road  
Wrong turn, bridge burned  
Now we're far too close_

Marianne puts a tentative hand on the keys. Like magic, her fingers already know what to do. They play across the keyboard with ease. By the second verse, she has a good idea of what’s going on. By the end of the song, she feels confident in her work.

“That was awesome!” Khalid exclaims, “We almost got this song down pat.”

“If we can play this good for the competition, we’re winning for sure,” Hilda agrees. She looks at Marianne. “And, Mari, you did wonderfully! You fit right in with us!”

“I do?” Marianne answers. She can hardly believe her ears.

“You do! And don’t you forget it.”

Khalid claps his hands together. “Alright. Let’s run through this one a couple more times before moving onto the next.”

Raphael counts them off once more.

“Pizza’s here!” Hilda’s mother calls.

The song comes to a screeching halt.

\----

Night falls by the time they’re done. Hilda doesn’t want more complaints from the neighbors, so she ushers her bandmates out as quickly as possible. Hilda’s mother waves goodbye to all of them. Slowly, the cars disappear from the road. Khalid lingers behind, talking to Hilda. Marianne waits a while longer. She quietly plays on the keyboard.

“Mari, I’m so happy you came!” Hilda says, throwing her arms around her friend from behind. She plants a friendly kiss on her cheek.

Marianne fumbles with the keys, making a raucous noise emit from the amplifier. “Ah, I’m glad too!”

“Did you have fun? You looked like you were enjoying yourself.”

“I enjoyed myself quite a bit.”

“Good. Khalid and I were brainstorming some ideas to work into our show. I was hoping you would be on board with it.”

“What did you have in mind?”

“So we were thinking-”

“Oh no.”

“Shut up! You know when keyboardists do that thing where they-” Hilda poorly imitates a piano riff, throwing her arms around wildly in a way someone would never play a keyboard. “We were thinking something like that would be cool.”

Marianne can barely follow her line of thinking. It’s like she’s speaking in Braille.

“Something like this?” She plays a short embellishment on the keyboard.

“Yeah! That! We were thinking of putting something like that in at the end of our last song. It would really add some pizzazz. We already have a trombone solo because Leonie wouldn’t stop insisting we needed one, and Khalid has been practicing his guitar stuff. Whatever that means. And with you in the band, I really think we have this in the bag.”

“You really want me to play that at the show? In front of all those people?”

“Yeah. It’ll be totally rad.”

“I’m not that good,” Marianne says.

“Nonsense,” Hilda answers, slapping her friend on the back in what would be a comforting fashion if it did not hurt so much, “I don’t even know how to play the piano at all! Hell, I can’t even tell the difference between a trumpet and a trombone. I think one is longer than the other. Leonie keeps telling me, but she’s so boring about it.”

“You don’t know how to play the piano?”

“Not a clue.”

“I could teach you.”

“You’d do that?” Hilda lights up.

“Yeah. I could show you something simple. Like this song I’ve been working on…”

“You write music?” She gasps, “Please show me right now.

“Okay, uh, let me just-” Marianne puts her hands on the keys. Her fingers dance across the keyboard playing a simple chord progression.

“Oh, this is ska! This sounds like ska.”

“I thought I would learn how to play since you wanted me to join the band.”

“Well, this is rad. Do you have any lyrics?”

“No,” Marianne admits.

“I’ll fix that. Keep playing,” Hilda says.

So Marianne does so. She plays the tune once more. Hilda taps her chin, deep in thought. Then, the words come to her. She sings softly.

_It's not that easy for me,  
To explain,  
Without embarrassment, girl,  
And lots of pain,  
You know that I'm not used to all this honesty,  
This whole love thing is such a risk to me.  
Now I've been coming round here,  
For so long,  
Suddenly everything seems so wrong,  
Like digging myself deeper into a hole,  
Until I met you girl,  
I was just waiting to get old_

Marianne stops playing. She looks at Hilda, appalled by her sheer talent. “You just wrote that on the spot?”

“Yeah.” Her friend shrugs. “It isn’t hard. Just sing from the heart or something.”

“That’s amazing.”

“You’re amazing.”

“No, you.”

“You’re right,” Hilda hums, “I am pretty amazing.”

\----

It’s the night before Ska Wars, and all through the house, everyone was stirring with excitement. Except for Marianne who is riddled with anxiety over their live performance suddenly becoming very real. However, she is good at pretending otherwise. The band sits in the garage in a circle. Leonie idly plays on Khalid’s guitar. She only knows how to play a couple chords, so it sounds like an elementary school band concert. Lysithea occupies herself with the snacks. Lorenz seems to be talking to himself while Holst pretends to listen. Marianne sits next to Hilda, just enjoying the company.

Khalid clicks a fork against his glass to get everyone's attention. “Ladies and gentleman of the Golden Deer, tonight is our final band practice. Well, at least the last one before Ska Wars. I wanted to make this one count. I was hoping we could do a group bonding activity.”

“A group bonding activity?” Lysithea interjects, “Are you going to make us hold hands and talk about our feelings?”

“Hell no. I just brought weed. Courtesy of Mercedes as usual.”

At that, everyone perks up. The guitar playing comes to an abrupt stop. Leonie sets the guitar aside.

“Well, don’t just tease us. Give it here!” Hilda says holding her hands out like a greedy toddler.

“With great patience comes great reward,” Khalid replies calmly. He wags his finger at her.

“Don’t get deep with me. I wanna get high.”

Eventually, the weed gets loaded into a bong, and the band sits in a circle, holding hands and talking about their feelings.

“I just feel like I’m not living my life as myself, but as my parent’s image of me,” Lysithea drones sadly. She leans into Leonie who puts a supportive arm around her. “I just want to be me. My parents don’t even know who ‘me’ is. I’m still the same person I was in middle school in their eyes. I’m not twelve anymore. I don’t like pink sweaters and glitter.”

“Just move out, man,” Leonie adds in helpfully.

“So I can live in a tiny apartment and work for minimum wage the rest of my miserable life?”

“Then, go to college.”

“And be in debt for the rest of my life? What if there’s a recession in 2008?”

“There’s not gonna be a recession in 2008,” Leonie scoffs.

“If we even make it to 2008,” Lorenz adds ominously.

“Y2K isn’t real. You’re just paranoid.”

“Oh, it’s real alright.”

“Lorenz, can you stop being dramatic for two seconds?” Khalid asks.

“No. It is not my nature to do so,” the man responds disdainfully.

“This is why you’re single.”

“Can someone _please_ pass me the weed,” Leonie whines, “I’m dying having to sit next to this guy,”

“Here you are.” Holst delivers the promised bong. The woman takes it gratefully.

The bong makes it rounds, and Marianne is feeling delightfully high. Hilda finds anything and everything funny, and she only gets touchier as time goes on. Before she knows it, Hilda is sitting in Marianne’s lap laughing at a bad joke her brother made. She interlocks her fingers with Marianne. Marianne lets it happen.

“Okay. Okay.” Khalid hushes the conversation. “Real talk. What will we do if we win?”

“Get absolutely trashed, obviously,” Leonie answers with a grin.

Hilda taps her chin, deep in thought. “Celebratory sex is obviously in order.”

“What?”

Suddenly all eyes are on her.

“You heard me,” she says without concern.

“With _who_?” Khalid questions her. If anyone was going to ask, it would be him.

"If I had to choose someone in this room, I'd have to pick Marianne. Leonie is a close second."

"I'm only second?" Leonie bursts out. "I wanna be first!"

"Leonie, your competitive side is showing." Hilda tuts at her.

"Save it for tomorrow," Lysithea adds.

“Save it for Lysithea.” Hilda smirks.

“Hey!” Both Leonie and Lysithea exclaim in unison. Leonie’s face flushes a deep red.

Marianne is still caught on Hilda's statement. Her heart beats out of her chest, and her face boils with heat. She stays quiet on the subject until Khalid, as usual, won't let it go.

"Why Marianne?" He asks. He leans in with interest.

"I mean, look at her. She's hot. Who wouldn't want to tap that?" Hilda answers matter-of-factly. She gestures to the woman.

Hot? _Hot?_ Marianne is foaming at the mouth. Part of her wants to get down on all fours and howl at the moon. Her last shred of dignity holds her back.

"I think we also need to consider if that's something Marianne wants," Khalid says. He eyes Marianne with great interest.

The woman is still frozen in shock. As much as she wants to yell out 'yes! I want this tiny pink woman to rail me into the mattress until I can't see straight!', that would be too on the nose. Instead, she nods slightly and answers with her usual quiet quiver.

"I would be okay with it."

The statement comes out frail but hits like a truck. Khalid looks on smugly, a knowing look upon his face. The rest of the band gasps in shock. Lysithea chokes on her Doritos. Hilda blinks at her, lacking in words for the first time in her life.

"You want to have sex with Hilda?" Leonie yells, asking the question on everyone’s mind.

"Do you not want to have sex with Hilda?" Lysithea watches her friend with suspicion.

The woman looks at her blankly. "Fair enough."

Lorenz stands up. "I feel this is my cue to leave. It's getting late, and we have a show tomorrow."

"We all know you need your beauty rest, Lenny." Khalid slaps him on the shoulder.

"Don't call me that."

"Loren."

"Not that either."

"Renzy.”

"Just. Lorenz,” he hisses through his teeth.

"I'm just joshing you."

Regardless, he gets up to leave. “Goodbye, Hilda. I’ll see you all tomorrow.”

Raphael finishes off the last of the pizza before heading out. Leftovers don’t exist in his world.

Leonie checks her watch and lets out a yawn. She stretches her back. “We should probably get going too.”

“What do you mean ‘we’?” Lysithea asks pointedly.

“We came in the same car, and I drove and I’m tired. Let’s go home.”

“Fine.” The woman gathers her remaining snacks and takes them with her.

One by one, the room empties out. Again, Marianne is left alone with Hilda. She knows she needs to leave. Her body is wrecked with exhaustion, but some sort of magnetic pull keeps her in place. Also, Hilda won’t get off her lap.

“Hilda, I need to go home,” Marianne says through a yawn.

“You don’t want to stay the night?” Hilda asks. There is something in the tone of her voice that insinuates something more. The meaning alludes Marianne.

 _I want to do much more than just that._ Marianne keeps that thought to herself. Her actual answer is much more tame. “That would be nice. I’m awfully tired and would hate to drive home this late at night.”

“Then, you have to stay. It’s the law or something. I don’t know.” Her friend waves her hand dismissively. “My bed’s big enough for the both of us.”

So they both end up in Hilda’s bed. It’s late enough her parents are fast asleep, and Holst has disappeared into his room long ago. Marianne knows she’ll have too many awkward questions to answer in the morning, but for now, she enjoys her time with Hilda. However, Hilda doesn’t sleep with pants on. It’s all Marianne can think about. Crude thoughts swirl in her mind as she stares at the ceiling. She lies like a corpse at a funeral. Her arms wrap tight around her shoulders. Hilda sprawls out like a cat, tiny yet somehow taking up all the space in the bed.

“Are you still awake?” Hilda mumbles.

“Yes,” Marianne responds.

“I can’t sleep.”

“Me neither.”

“What’s on your mind? Are you nervous about tomorrow?”

“Yeah. I’ve never played a live show before.”

“It’s nothing to worry about,” Hilda says, “They’ll all be looking at me, and the lights are so bright, you can barely see the crowd. It’ll just be us up there. You and all your friends.”

That brings some comfort to Marianne. She smiles. “Thank you, Hilda.”

“And if we win-”

 _Oh, dear goddess._ There’s no way she was serious about that.

Hilda continues, almost seeming a bit unsure of herself, “I was just joking about the sex thing. Really.”

Marianne swallows nervously. She’s exhausted enough she has no holds barred. “I wasn’t joking when I answered.”

“What?” Her friend flips over onto her stomach, suddenly wide awake.

She can’t stop there. “Yeah. You’re hot.”

“Oh, you think I’m hot?” Hilda grins, absolutely delighted by the statement.

“To be fair, who doesn’t?” Marianne quips back.

“You’re right, but it means more coming from you.”

“Why’s that?”

“You’re such a shy girl, Mari. I’ve never seen you act outwardly horny toward me.”

If only she knew.

“I like you, Hilda,” she says, “I like you a lot.”

Hilda giggles. “Of course you do. We’re best friends. I’ve known you almost as long as I’ve known Khalid. I would hope you liked me.”

“No, Hilda. I mean I like you like I want you to be my girlfriend. Romantically. And we can kiss. Okay, we already kiss, but I mean kiss like girlfriends would,” Marianne blurts out. Her chest fills with feelings of both regret and relief. It’s almost nauseating.

Hilda stares at her in shock. Her jaw hangs slack, quivering a bit as she tries to pick it up again in an attempt to speak. For a moment, Marianne considers jumping out the window. She could catch the last bus of the night and skip town. But then, Hilda answers.

“I like you too,” Hilda says quietly, “Romantically, I mean. Not just as friends. Well, as friends too.”

Marianne can barely believe her ears. “You like me?”

“Duh. I’ve liked you for a while. I’m just surprised you were the one to make the first move.”

“Me too,” she admits.

“Does that mean we’re gonna have sex after the show?” Hilda asks bluntly. Her voice is layered with desire.

Whatever composure Marianne had left dissolves in an instant. She babbles like a toddler. “I, uh, yes? If that’s something you want.”

“Oh, that is _definitely_ something I want.”

“Only if we win,” her friend clarifies.

“Only if we win.”

With that, Hilda buries herself in the covers once more. “I’m glad we talked that out. I’ll see you in the morning, Mari. Sleep tight.”

“Goodnight, Hilda.”

Hilda sits back up. “Actually, wait. I forgot your goodnight kiss.”

She leans over to kiss the other woman gently on the cheek. Marianne burns up.

“Now, goodnight, Marianne.”

“Goodnight again, Hilda.”

\----

The announcer taps the microphone. He clears his throat before booming his voice. “Welcome to the third annual Ska Wars! I’m your host Alois, but tonight you can call me Skalois.” Cue the rolling of eyes. “I’ll be introducing you to our wonderful contestants! We have a few familiar faces as well as some newcomers. Be sure to show them all your love and support!”

The crowd cheers. The energy is electric. Alois continues to warm up the crowd. “Our first band tonight is competing for the first time in Ska Wars, but don’t be fooled. This band is a veteran in the field having played together for over three years. They even have a CD out! I wasn’t paid to promote that by the way…”

Backstage, the band prepares for the show. Lorenz shines his trumpet. Khalid tunes his guitar. Lysithea sits next to him doing the same with her bass. Leonie greases the slide of her trombone.

The crowd bursts with energy. Marianne can feel it all the way backstage. The electric noise fills the air along with the upbeat ska music. It's overwhelming. She nervously scratches at her wrist.

"There's nothing to be afraid of," Hilda says comfortingly. She slips her hand into Marianne's.

At that, Marianne smiles. Such a simple act of kindness goes a long way. She can't stop thinking about it.

"I'm not afraid. Just nervous," Marianne responds quietly.

"There's nothing to be nervous about."

"There's a lot to be nervous about." To be fair, there is.

A round of applause interrupts them.

"We're next," Khalid announces, "Gather round. It's time for our pre-show rituals."

The pressure is on. Marianne can feel the weight of the world on her shoulders.

"Pre-show ritual?" She asks.

"Gather round." Khalid holds his arms out.

Hilda huddles in first. She takes Marianne by the hand and pulls her in with her. Holst follows close behind. Behind him, Lorenz. Raphael wraps them in his enormous arms. Leonie steps into the hug, tugging an uninterested Lysithea behind her. Together, they squeeze into a tight hug.

"Now, for the good luck charm," Khalid says, "Hilda, will you do the honors?"

"I would love to," Hilda answers sweetly.

She wiggles out of their tight grasp and leans in to kiss Khalid on the cheek. Then, she pecks her brother on the forehead.

"Thank you, sis." Holst grins. He turns his head to kiss Lorenz, who recoils at the act.

"Why must you always do this?" He asks with a groan.

"Don't you want a little Goneril good luck?" Holst winks.

"I suppose it's not that bad."

"That's the spirit." Hilda kisses Lorenz on the nose. He gags again. She goes to her next victim: a very enthusiastic Leonie. She pecks her on the cheek.

"I need some extra luck." Leonie pulls her in for a second kiss, making Hilda bubble with laughter.

"Anything for you, sweetheart." She kisses her obligingly.

Lysithea mutters something under her breath.

"You're next, my darling. Come here," Hilda says, swooping in to kiss Lysithea next. The woman shies away from her touch, growling like a moody cat. But Hilda persists. She pulls the woman in and plants a wet kiss on her cheek.

"You're disgusting," Lysithea hisses.

"And you're blushing."

“Am not!” An obvious lie.

"Would you rather I kiss you instead?" Leonie wonders, tugging Lysithea closer.

"No!" Lysithea claws at her.

Leonie pouts. "That's a shame."

Hilda kisses Raphael leaving only Marianne left.

"I saved the best for last!" She coos.

Marianne has no idea how to respond, so she freezes like a deer in the headlights. Hilda hugs her close and runs a gentle hand over her cheek. For a brief moment, it feels as if they are alone in the world. With an intimate touch, she coerces Marianne's chin forward so their lips meet. The kiss is only brief, but it makes Marianne dizzy. The sensation lingers on her lips. Marianne feels her face flush a deep red. Her jaw hangs slack with shock. Hilda seems pleased with herself, a crooked smile plastered on her face.

"You're gonna do great," Hilda says, still hanging onto her friend.

"Thank you." Marianne manages to get out. Her jaw quivers.

Again, muffled applause comes from the stage. That same electricity pulses through the air. The MC says something, but Marianne can barely hear. Another band walks down the steps. They’re awfully small for a ska band with only four members.

Khalid approaches them first. “You did great out there!”

The group stops, and the person who seems to be the leader speaks up. Their voice is warm and welcoming. “Why, thank you. I take it you’re the next band?”

“Yep. That's us. The Golden Deer.” He holds out his hand. “My name’s Khalid, by the way. It’s nice to meet you.”

“Yuri.” They return the gesture. “Of the Ashen Wolves.”

“Quite the name for a ska band.”

They shrug. “Our drummer was insistent on the name. I’ve taken quite a liking to it.”

“It’s kinda growing on me too, actually. Maybe we should collab sometime.”

“Let me hear what you have to bring to the table first,” Yuri says.

“I’m sure we’ll blow you away,” Khalid answers.

While the two talk, Marianne watches the other members. A small blonde woman carries a trombone almost as tall as her. Another woman walks behind her with a guitar hanging behind her back. Marianne cannot help but notice they are holding hands. She blushes at the sight. Perhaps, they’re just really close friends. Like her and Hilda. Wait-

“Good luck out there.” Yuri waves goodbye. The rest of their band follows close behind them.

“You too!” Khalid says, “If we don’t win, I hope you do.”

With that, he looks to his own band. He smiles, but his words sound serious. "It's time. Let's do this."

The stage lights are hot. Marianne feels them burning on her skin cooking her alive. She regrets wearing layers, but it's much too late now. She would rather pass out from heat exhaustion than strip in front of a crowd of hundreds of people. _Oh, goddess, there’s hundreds of people_. Her heart pounds as she walks up to her keyboard. The crowd cheers wildly as the band walks onto the stage. From up here, they seem so far away. It’s another world.

Raphael sets himself up at the drums, smacking the snare a few times before deciding it adequate. Leonie strums a small line on the bass. The deep sound reverberates through the speakers. Lysithea quickly snatches it from her hands and protectively clutches it. The other woman bursts out laughing. Hilda clears her throat and walks to the microphone. Her hips sway in such a captivating way. Marianne can barely take her eyes off the woman. The feedback hisses on the speaker, bringing the poor woman back to reality.

"My name’s Hilda, and this is our band the Golden Deer. We’re gonna play a couple songs for you, and you better like them!" Hilda says, her voice sickenly sweet.

The crowd cheers, and for a brief moment, it feels terribly silent. Marianne takes a deep breath. She looks to her bandmates, locking eyes with Leonie who gives her a reassuring thumbs up. Then, she looks to Hilda who has her back to her. The woman wears a short skirt with fishnets and tall boots that add a couple inches to her height. Her hips sway ever so slightly as she flirts with the crowd. The view, in short, is amazing. Hilda’s a three course meal, and Marianne hasn’t eaten in months. She can barely take her eyes off the woman. A spot of drool falls from her lips.

The crowd bursts with energy, and the time comes. Marianne takes her final breath. She will surely forget how to breathe once they begin.

Hilda looks back to the band. Khalid gives a reassuring nod. Raphael clicks his sticks together. Marianne readies her hands over the keys. They twitch with both excitement and fear. Adrenaline takes over.

They start at once. A wave of sound crashes upon the crowd. The cheery upbeat of the guitar rings out. The horn section harmonizes Hilda's voice joins in, leading them along. Marianne follows with her joyous chords supporting. The bass keeps everything grounded.

Before Marianne can notice, their set is over. The crowd erupts with applause, and the host walks back onto stage. Hilda flirts with the audience, easily capturing their hearts. With a final bow, the band exits the stage. The next band waits on the sidelines.

"We did it!" Khalid cheers as soon as they step backstage.

Again, the band huddles into a tight hug. Marianne gets squished into the middle with Lysithea. She cannot help but notice a firm hand squeezing her behind.

"I'm so proud of us," Raphael says, wrapping his huge bear arms around them all.

Marianne feels ready to cry. She has never felt this loved before.

The feeling doesn’t last long. Suddenly. A cold presence showers over them. Marianne shivers. Hilda looks up in horror. Her face quickly turns sour.

“I didn’t think you would be here.” An annoyed voice comes from behind.

Before them stands the next band. A short woman with white hair scowls at them. Behind her looms the bassist from A Flock of Seagulls gone goth. He has more chains on his pants than he has fabric. Everyone else seems at least semi-normal but still equally as terrifying.

“Edelgard,” Hilda growls. She steps up to the other woman, a mere centimeter shorter than her. She sneers. “Of course we’re gonna be here. We play ska, unlike you.”

“Excuse you, but the Black Eagles are an adept ska band. We’re going to take the trophy or die trying,” Edelgard states. For such a small woman, she has a powerful aura. It terrifies Marianne. Even Khalid looks visibly shaken. He hides his fear behind a quizzical face. Despite their size, it feels like they are about to witness Godzilla battle King Ghidorah. Marianne can barely watch the bloodshed.

“I hope you like dying, then,” Hilda quips.

“Oh, you think you can take first from us?” Edelgard responds harshly.

“I don’t think. I know,” the other woman boasts.

“Those are bold words coming from a No Doubt fan,” Edelgard says with a huff. She crosses her arms.

“You take that back you Siouxsie Sioux wannabe!” Hilda pounces at her.

“Siouxsie Sioux wannabe? You’re the one who’s more hairspray than person!” Edelgard lunges at the other woman.

Before the kaiju battle can begin, both bands intervene. Arms cover both women, tugging them apart. Khalid grabs Hilda at the waist and tugs her away. Raphael muscles her away from lunging again. The Golden Deer hold tight to their lead singer as she claws at the other woman. The Black Eagles do the same with their leader. The two women foam at the mouth, staring at each other with pure rage. Their fight continues psychically if not physically. Marianne cannot bear to look either of them in the eye.

Eventually, a woman walks up to Edelgard and gently tugs at her shoulder. “Edie, darling, we have to get on stage.”

At that, Edelgard’s eyes go wide. She quickly retains her composure. The rest of the band lets her go. The Golden Deer continue to grasp at Hilda for dear life.

“It seems this is goodbye,” Edelgard says, suddenly extremely composed and almost polite, “I wish you luck no matter how futile the gesture is.”

With that, she turns on her heel and walks up to the stage. The Golden Deer let out a collective sigh as the woman steps out of sight. Finally, Hilda is released. She springs forth from her chains and back into freedom.

“What the hell was _that_?” Leonie dares ask.

“That was my ex,” Hilda says, still seething with rage. It takes her a moment to calm herself.

“Edelgard is your ex?”

“Yes. And she’s the worst of the worst. An absolute stinky bitch, for lack of better term.”

“What are they even doing here? They look more like death metal than anything else.”

“Oh, don’t let her looks fool you. She may be goth on the outside, but on the inside, she has ska running through her veins. I would know. She used to be in my band.”

Various members of the band gasp at this development. Marianne didn’t know this either.

“She was in your band?” Lorenz asks for the sake of the drama.

Hilda nods. “I formed the Black Eagles.”

“ _You did not_.”

“I did. We called it a different name back then. It was, um, Hilda and the Sugar Sweets if I remember correctly. She renamed it once she kicked me out. That traitor.”

“I can’t believe this,” Leonie whispers to Lysithea. The two women watch in awe.

“I mean, it had Hilda’s name in it. It makes sense to take it out,” Lysithea replies in a hushed mumble.

“Either way, I’m much happier with the Golden Deer. You guys are like family to me,” Hilda says.

“Cute,” Khalid hums, “Let’s hope we win.”

“Agreed. Let’s kick ass!” Hilda yells. Then, in a much quieter tone: “In the green room. I heard they laid out snacks for the band members.”

At that, both Raphael and Lysithea perk up. “There’s snacks?” They say in unison.

So they congregate in the green room. A few other bands linger in the lounge. They see the Ashen Wolves once again who also partake in the festivities. Khalid mingles with Yuri while Lysithea and Raphael dig through the sweets like a pair of racoons in a dumpster. Lorenz watches them with disgust. Although, he does take a cupcake for himself.

“Hey, Mari,” Hilda greets her friend from behind. A hand comes down to squeeze her ass with intention. Marianne’s eyes go wide.

“Hey, Hilda,” Marianne says, choking on her own spit. Her mind dives into the gutter.

Her friend leans in to whisper in her ear. “You know, there’s still a few more bands before they announce the winner. We have some time to kill. If you know what I mean.”

“I thought we had a deal.”

“Then, we’ll do it twice. There was never any clause in our agreement that said we had to hold off until they announce the winner.”

She makes surprisingly a good point; Khalid must be rubbing off on her. The offer is tempting, and Hilda is even more tempting. Marianne can already feel the excitement building up underneath her skirt. She’s not sure how much longer she can wait with Hilda being this alluring. Also, she can see directly down her shirt from this angle. It is not helping.

“Where?” Marianne asks, voice low.

“I know the perfect place.”

They easily slip out with the rest of the band distracted by themselves.

Hilda drags Marianne along by the hand. Her steps are quick, filled with determination. Marianne does not struggle to keep up; her legs are much longer than the other woman’s. Soon, they approach the stage. A security guard stands by the step. He eyes the two suspiciously as they walk by.

“Where are we going exactly?” Marianne whispers, leaning into Hilda.

“There.” The pink woman nods toward the stage.

“We can’t have sex on the stage!” The statement comes out a bit too loud. Marianne quickly covers her own mouth.

“As tempting as that is, I meant underneath the stage.”

“While your ex is playing?”

“That just makes it that much better. Wouldn’t you agree?”

“We still have the problem of the security guard. We can’t exactly walk up to him and explain why we need to go under the stage. We’ll get kicked out,” Marianne says.

“I already thought of that,” answers Hilda with a grin, “Watch this.”

Suddenly, her demeanor changes. She walks up to the guard seeming distraught. The guard immediately takes notice.

“Is something wrong, miss?” He asks.

“Something is very wrong,” Hilda cries. Her voice quivers in the fakest way. She pouts as she looks up at the man. He eats it up like a steak dinner.

“What is it?”

“My earring! I seemed to have lost it while walking back from the bathroom. Do you think you could help me find it? I’ll make it worth your while.” She punctuates that sentence with a wink.

At that, he perks up. “I can help you, ma’am. We can start by looking by the bathrooms.”

“You start there. I’ll retrace my steps from here. Now, go.” She waves him off. He has no choice but to oblige her. He scampers off like a lovesick puppy.

Hilda looks back to Marianne, a devilish look in her eyes. “Now, where were we?”

Marianne can barely contain her excitement. She drags Hilda underneath the stage.

The room, unlike the title, is barely a room. It’s dark and unfurnished, and the entire room shakes as the band above plays. The bass thunders through the floorboards. It all sounds muffled from below. Neither woman pays it any attention. They’re much too preoccupied with smashing their mouths together like two teenagers on prom night. Greedy hands tug at Hilda’s shirt. Hilda parts only long enough to remove the garment. Immediately, Marianne’s mouth is on Hilda’s chest. She sucks at the soft skin, making Hilda gasp. She pulls the other woman closer. Her hand comes down to tease between Marianne’s thighs. She is absolutely delighted at the result.

“I see you’re already excited,” says Hilda, licking her lips, but her sentiment is quickly lost in the music. She goes for a more direct approach. With rough hands, she hikes Marianne’s skirt up and starts palming her through her underwear. Marianne moans, and her cock slowly hardens. The music drowns out her pleasurable noises.

Hilda sinks to her knees, and Marianne nearly dies at the sight. Her heart jumps out of her chest, thumping loud in her ears. Hilda plants a teasing kiss to Marianne’s inner thigh. The woman trembles under her touch. Careful fingers tug at the hem of her underwear. Slowly, Hilda pulls it down, and the fabric bunches at her ankles.

"Wet these for me," Hilda says, running two fingers across the woman's lip.

Marianne dutifully takes her fingers in her mouth and sucks on them. All the while, Hilda uses her other hand to grope her friend through her shirt. Marianne really wishes she didn't wear layers.

Then, Hilda removes her fingers from Marianne's mouth. She brings her hand down to the woman's twitching cock. With skilled fingers, she coaxes it to harden. Marianne bites her lip. She swears under her breath. Her words get lost in the sea of sounds above them. Hilda pumps her faster. Tension builds in the pit of Marianne's stomach. She braces herself on a wall, barely to stand up straight.

"Hilda," Marianne gasps, "Hilda, please! I'm so close."

She can barely contain herself. Luckily, the band above drowns out any noise. Her moans of pleasure mix into the music. She feels herself on the brink. Any longer, and she'll go over the edge.

Then, the sensation stops completely. Marianne groans with frustration. She digs her nails into Hilda's back. Hilda smiles mischievously.

"Why did you do that?" Marianne whines.

"I can't have you making a mess all over me. This is an expensive top. I have to put it somewhere I can clean it up fast."

She can't mean- no. She wouldn't. She would. Hilda sinks to her knees. The sight nearly kills Marianne. The woman pecks a few kisses along the length of her dick. It would be incredibly cute if Marianne were not suffering from the lack of orgasm. Her body begs for release. Finally, Hilda takes her into her mouth. She sucks on her until Marianne is coming in her mouth. The woman braces herself on the wall, her other hand gripping tight to Hilda's hair.

"Fuck," Marianne says exasperatedly, “Fuck!”

Thank goddess for the music.

“You’re cute when you orgasm,” Hilda comments. She stands back up. Marianne pulls her into a greedy kiss. Her hands explore the other woman. Fingers tease at the hem of her shorts. Hastily, Marianne unzips them.

"What are you doing?" Hilda asks, seeming a bit worried, "Their set is almost done. We gotta get out of here."

"I can be fast," Marianne mumbles barely loud enough to hear. She dips her hand into the woman's underwear. Immediately, she feels the slick pooled there. Her underwear is soaked to the point of ruin.

Hilda gasps as Marianne dips into her. She wastes no time rubbing hard on her clit. Her arm moves faster, and Hilda grips harder to her. All the while, she gasps and moans and, Marianne only works her harder.

"Fuck!" Hilda lets out a string of swears as she gets closer. She bites into Marianne's neck. The pain makes her cry out with pleasure.

Above them, the song comes to its thrilling conclusion. The crowd cheers, and the music stops. At that moment, Hilda comes undone by Marianne’s fingers. She screams out loud enough the next city over will report noise complaints. Both women freeze as it happens. They stare at each other in shock.

"Shit," Hilda mutters under her breath.

"That wasn't my fault," Marianne says abruptly.

"That was totally your fault! Stop being good at sex. You’re making me loud."

"We should get out of here."

"Right. Where's my shirt?"

They frantically search for their various discarded garments. With a few adjustments to disheveled garments, and brushing back their hair, the two women return to civilization.

The security guard still has not returned as they step out into the backstage area. However, the Black Eagles are exiting the stage as they walk out. No one pays them much attention until...

"What are you still doing here?" A disgusted voice sneers at them.

Immediately, Hilda's mood goes sour. She looks to Edelgard with utter disgust. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

"Yes. That's why I asked," Edelgard answers as if it were obvious, “Your set is over. You have no reason to be hanging around here. Especially underneath the stage. What were you trying to pull? Sabotage? I knew you stooped low, but I never imagined you would go this low.”

"Are you sure you want to know?" Hilda grins with glee. Marianne quickly grows worried.

"Now, you're just acting weird, so, no."

Hilda takes Marianne's hand. She boasts anyway, needing to get the last word in. "I was having sex with my super hot girlfriend right under the stage while you were playing."

"You were not."

"Were too! You want me to prove it?"

Edelgard purses her lips as she is deep in thought. Her answer is simple. "No, thank you. We're done here."

“We are not done here! I want to gloat more about my super hot girlfriend who is much taller than you by the way,” Hilda quips back.

At that, the other woman scowls. “Goodbye, Hilda.”

“You’re just jealous you and your girlfriend aren’t as adventurous as us.”

“We are plenty adventurous,” Edelgard huffs.

“Oh, please. You didn’t even want to have sex in the car!”

“Because we were in a Taco Bell parking lot. If it were anywhere else, I would have agreed to it.”

“Sure,” says Hilda incredulously.

“Why am I talking to you anyway? I have better things to be doing.”

“So do I. Actually, I already did her.”

“Do you ever shut up?”

“Isn’t that why you bought a ball gag?”

“And I regret not bringing it with me.”

“Kinky.” Hilda grins. “I suppose if you miss me that much, we could let you join for a quickie.”

At that, Marianne turns a bright red. “Hilda-”

“I’m kidding. I’d never associate with the likes of her ever again.”

“You are absolutely insufferable. I’m leaving.” Edelgard turns on her heel and quickly exits the vicinity. It gets strangely quiet afterward.

Marianne looks down at Hilda. “So I’m your girlfriend now?”

She catches a slight blush on Hilda’s face. Hilda answers, “I mean, I was hoping that would be okay with you. Ever since we confessed to each other that night I figured there was something going on between us. Plus we had sex.”

“And it was really good sex,” Marianne muses.

“We can do better.”

“After the show?”

“Only if we win.” Her girlfriend winks.

Marianne prays to the goddess that they win.

\----

“There you two are! We were looking all over for you,” Khalid says upon their return, “They’re about to announce the winner.”

“We were looking for the bathrooms,” Hilda explains. She’s a good liar. Marianne finds herself jealous. Hopefully, her profuse blushing won’t give them away. Also, Hilda is covered in hickeys. Marianne got a little carried away, and it shows like a neon sign at night. There’s no way one wouldn’t notice it. However, Khalid doesn’t seem to notice, or perhaps he is courteous enough not to point it out.

“The bathrooms are right there.” Leonie points out.

“Whoops!” Is all Hilda has to say to that.

“At least we’re back in time for the awards,” Marianne replies.

“True. We gotta go get on the stage. Let’s go!” Khalid motions for them to head toward the stage. His band follows diligently behind him.

The stage lights burn as they step onto the stage. Marianne had no time to recover from earlier, so she finds herself on the brink of exhaustion. Hilda slips her hand into hers. The crowd cheers as the bands reunite on the stage one last time. They all squish together. The Ashen Wolves act as a barrier between the Black Eagles. Still, Hilda can feel Edelgard glaring at them. She makes sure to stick her tongue out at her as soon as they manage eye contact.

The announcer walks up to the microphone. “I know you’re all sad the music's over, but the competition is just beginning! I’m sure you’re all on the edge of your seats waiting for our winner to be announced. We counted all your votes, and the judges have spoken. Now, let’s get started!”

More cheering. Marianne’s heart pounds in her chest. She squeezes tight to Hilda’s hand.

“In fifth place we have…”

Raphael crosses his fingers. Lorenz tenses in anticipation. Even Lysithea takes Leonie’s hand for comfort.

“The Knights of Seiros! I’ll be honest, it might have been the name that did them in. You still put on quite the show, and I hope we see you compete next year!”

“If there is a next year,” mumbles Lorenz. Leonie jabs him harshly in the gut.

“In fourth place…” Alois, sorry, Skalois pauses dramatically for effect. “The BLue Lions!”

More cheering. At this, a few members of the Blue Lions stomp their feet in frustration. The others clap and cheer as if they had won. Marianne spots Mercedes among them.

“In third place…”

Raphael crosses his fingers harder. Hilda bites her lip. Even Khalid seems on edge. He shoves his hands into the pockets of his cargo shorts.

“The Ashen Wolves!”

The crowd cheers for them. The Ashen Wolves take a bow. Yuri claps for them. The two women embrace, and Marianne swears she sees them kiss _on the lips_. Her eyes go wide. Khalid feels both relieved and saddened by his new friends not winning. They deserve at least second place if not first.

With that, only two bands remain. Tensions build, and Marianne can barely breathe. At this point, Raphael is crossing his fingers tight enough they could pop off at any moment. Lorenz looks ready to faint. He has always been one for drama. Unfortunately for him, Leonie can and will let him fall when that happens.

The crowd goes silent.

“And now for our first prize winner who will get to open for Reel Big Fish at their concert next week at this very venue,” Alois continues, “But first, a word from our sponsor! I’m just kidding. I’ll tell you who won. You must be dying to know.”

“That’s an understatement,” Lorenz says, starting to lose feeling in his legs.

“Our first place winner of the third annual Ska Wars is….”

He pauses for dramatic effect. Lorenz looks ready to pass away. Everyone leans in expectantly. Only hushed whispers can be heard.

Alois brings the microphone up to his lips. He yells loud enough to cause feedback. “The Golden Deer!”

The crowd erupts with cheering. Marianne lets go of the breath she had been withholding for the past five minutes. Hilda screams with joy. Lorenz faints, and Leonie promptly dodges out of the way of his fall. His body hits the floor with a loud thud. Khalid fist pumps the air, turning to Raphael to give him a brotherly hug. Raphael’s giant arms swallow him whole. Lysithea leaps into Leonie’s arms, seeming uncharacteristically excited. Leonie hoists her up and holds her bridal style. Marianne looks down at her girlfriend, overcome with emotions. She feels ready to cry. Without thinking, she dips the other woman and kisses her on the lips.

When they let go, Hilda remains in Marianne’s arms. “You know what this means.”

Marianne smiles brightly. “I’m looking forward to it.”

**Author's Note:**

> i hope u enjoyed my little passion project that quorn enabled me to do :3  
> if u liked what u see and wanna see more dumb gay stuff u can check out my [twitter](https://twitter.com/_vulpixel)  
> again quorn tysm for enabling me i had so much fun writing this!!


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